Critical costs update for solicitors

Tuesday 24 May 2011, 5:00pm–7:30pm
Law Society House, 179 Ann Street
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Seminar DVD (Resource code: 110524BD)
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Overview

Practice Management & Business Skills 2 CPD points

Following a concise overview of what solicitors should know about intersections between the Legal Profession Act and Consumer Law legislation, barrister Graham Robinson leads this forum by highlighting how costs agreements are often running into trouble. Join eminent costs experts Paul Garrett and Tony Deane to map the process of costs assessment, the new issues being experienced, questions to ask and what to challenge. This forum is specifically designed to help prevent solicitors from becoming embroiled in disputes over costs, and losing the complete focus needed for managing multiple files.

Course code: 110524B

5:00pm–5:00pm
Welcome
  • Speaker: Tony Garrett – Costs Assessor, Hickey & Garrett
5:00pm–5:20pm
Legal Services Commission update on issues in relation to costs
  • Speaker: Tony Deane – Special Counsel, Clayton Utz
5:20pm–6:00pm
Difficulties experienced with disclosure obligations
Practice Management & Business Skills

This session covers:

  • obligations under the Legal Profession Act 2007
  • examples of recent disclosure dilemmas
  • highlighting how s316(4) has been enlivened and applied
  • experiences and consequences of costs assessors being engaged
  • how the obligations of s315 have proven problematic
  • recommendations for managing an extension from your initial estimate
  • problems arising from differences between retainers and costs agreements
  • Speaker: Graham Robinson – Barrister, Queensland Bar
6:00pm–6:15pm
Break
6:15pm–6:45pm
Practical issues with having your costs assessed
Practice Management & Business Skills
  • understanding the process of having your costs assessed
  • knowing what objections can be, and are raised on particulars
  • how default assessments and whole of bill examinations are conducted
  • disparities and problems arising in practice with Cost Assessors
  • comparing the role and actual requests being made of Cost Assessors
  • Speaker: Paul Garrett – Hickey & Garrett
6:45pm–7:15pm
Open session on questions submitted
Practice Management & Business Skills

Inviting delegates to enjoy the confidentiality of having issued discussed, this session is dedicated to answering the questions from the floor and those submitted via the Queensland Law Society for consideration by presenters prior to the event date.

  • Speaker: Graham Robinson – Barrister, Queensland Bar
  • Speaker: Paul Garrett – Hickey & Garrett
  • Speaker: Tony Deane – Special Counsel, Clayton Utz

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